We're very excited that the MAT Strategy Series is returning for the 24/25 academic year!

Over the past decade, the big challenge for MATs was clear: how to centralise and standardise services, to create stronger, more efficient organisations. But as trusts mature and many grow larger, how can leaders work with their schools in ways that are genuinely sustainable in the face of growing complexity - while staying true to their own culture and vision? 

In this next phase, the future of MATs won’t be one-size-fits-all. MATs will need to design ways of working that reflect their own people, systems and ambitions.

At Arbor, we believe that MATS who thrive will be: 

• Connecting systems and information across departments seamlessly
• Automating routine work to free up staff for strategic priorities
• Building smarter workflows that avoid duplication and bottlenecks
• Creating operating models that are uniquely their own

This series will show how MATs can rethink the way work happens across their trust — designing smarter and more connected ways of working across people, systems, and workflows to build stronger and more sustainable trusts.  

Webinar: How to use your systems to align your trust

Tuesday 27th February 2024, 10am-11am 

Speakers: Matthew Harrison, Head of Technology, Epping Forest Schools Partnership | Stephen Barrett-Kinsley, Chief Operating Officer, Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust

Hosted in partnership with Confederation of School Trusts, we will be launching a joint report at this webinar, "Aligning systems, people and processes in your trust: How, when and why to get started"

The debate between autonomy and centralisation has divided the MAT space for many years. But in recent times, it's become clear that a degree of alignment is necessary for growing trusts. 

This alignment will look different from trust to trust, but many MAT leaders are asking the same questions. When is the best time to get started? Where do you begin - with systems, people, or processes? And, most importantly, how do you do it well?

In this webinar, two MAT leaders share their experiences of alignment in growing trusts. Join us to hear how they used their systems to get "match-fit" for growth, the role good data played in their strategies, and the lessons they learned along the way. 

You'll leave this session equipped with both food for thought and practical takeaways on how to navigate alignment at your trust, whatever that might look like for you. 

Webinar: Establishing processes to set your trust up for success

Tuesday 26th March 2024, 10am-11am

Speakers: Dan Morrow, CEO, Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust

Having the right systems in place is the first step to having solid, reliable and repeatable processes in any trust, but where do you go next? How do you implement trust-wide policies? How do you get your school leaders on board and how do you make sure your processes are scalable and ready for future growth?

Join Dan Morrow as he takes us through how he has embedded robust processes at Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust and how he approached this project as CEO.

You'll leave this session with insight on how to create processes that are sustainable and scalable and how to make sure your systems support this vision.

Webinar: How to manage change as your trust grows

Wednesday 24th April 2024, 10am-11am

Speakers: Chris Foley, Catholic Senior Executive Leaders (CEO), St Teresa's of Calcutta

Despite the government shelving the Schools Bill in 2022, growth is still the priority for many trusts. Many, in fact, are relying on said growth in order to operate sustainably in the cost-of-living crisis.

But as individual schools join your trust, there's an art to making sure that students and staff alike are onboarded properly. In fact, how you onboard your schools is a crucial part of your growth strategy. 

In this fireside chat, you'll hear how one MAT leader has successfully onboarded schools to his trust, while managing the tensions that come with the territory, such as:

• Whether to lean towards centralisation and autonomy
• How to manage expectations, communicate change and attempt to put staff at ease in a new context
• Thinking about the differences between onboarding vulnerable and over-performing schools

Webinar: What should your central team look like?

Thursday 23rd May 2024, 10am-11am 

Speakers: David Lord, CEO, Together Learning Trust and Mark Greatrex, CEO, Bellevue Education Trust

Is there such a thing as an 'ideal' central team? If so, what does it look like and how do you build it?

In this session, we'll debate the different models of central teams, and discuss whether there really is a 'right' way to do things. Plus, we'll take a deeper dive into how you curate the right skill sets within your team to drive school improvement, increase efficiency and enable growth. 

You’ll leave this session with insight on:
How to unlock the benefits of trust-wide collaboration with your central team 
How to structure your team to allow school leaders to prioritise school outcomes 
How to deliver economies of scale by saving time on duplicate tasks 

Webinar: What should the role of a trust be in the future?

Friday 28th June 2024, 10am-11am 

Speakers: Lauren Thorpe, Chief Transformation Officer, United Learning and Owen McColgan, CEO, The Howard Academy Trust

With the continued growth of the MAT landscape, we conclude our series by looking at how the role and scope of trusts has changed, and what it should look like in the future.

According to the Confederation of School Trusts, "the strongest trusts facilitate knowledge building through professional development, with a view to improving curriculum and pedagogy. They bring professionals together in ways that are supported by proper strategic oversight and accountability."

In this panel discussion we'll explore:
- What a 'good' trust looks like
- How collaborative structures can benefit schools
- What trust leaders should be doing to improve trusts as a whole

With the underlying mission of MATs remaining the same - to improve the outcomes of students across the country - we will also look at exactly how are trusts are creating a culture of continuous school improvement in the face of changing expectations.

Arbor helps schools of all sizes work more easily and collaboratively, with intuitive tools designed to make a difference. Arbor MIS gives schools the tools they need to work better today and be ready for tomorrow. Used by over 5,000 schools and 450 trusts across the country, it’s the UK’s most popular MIS.

At Arbor, our School MIS and MAT-level MIS are designed to work as one, seamless pair of systems - giving you the tools you need to work together as one organisation. More than just a dashboard, MAT MIS is the only true MIS for trusts, giving your central team a dedicated tool where information and actions flow school-up and trust-down.